Electrical top



May 3, 1932. L, L. SHENEMAN 1,856,514

ELECTRICAL TOP Filed Feb, 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 3, 1932 L. L. SHENEMAN 1,856,514

ELECTRICAL' TOP Filed Feb. 17, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ning.

Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOYD L. SHENEMAN, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO FLORENCE SHENEMAN, OF BLUFFTON, INDIANA ELECTRICAL TOP Applicatien filed February 17, 1930.

This invention relates to a. top propelled by integral electrical devices and means for supplying current thereto.

An essential novel feature of the invention resides in such a top comprised of two maj or parts adapted to rotate in opposite directions.

An object of the invention is to supply electricity to such a top while said top is spin- Another object is to provide a base having a flat, electrically charged spinning surface on which said top may move freely about.

Another object is to provide an electrically charged wand by means of which such a top may be spun on any relatively smooth, level surface.

These and other objects are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a partly cross-sectional side view of a preferred form of the top.

Figure 2 is a top plan of the lower half of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partly cross-sectional side view of a modified form of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-section of a wand used in conjunction with Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the commutator used on Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the top shown in Figure 1, completely assembled.

Figure 7 is a top plan of a base on which the top spins.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a modification of the base shown in Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a bottom view of Figure 6.

Figure 11 is a wiring diagram illustrating the conventional series winding employed in small direct or alternating current motors of the socalled toy type.

Referring to the. drawings in detail, Figr ure 1 illustrates a preferred construction of the invention in which the numeral 1 desig nates an axial shaft which rotatively supports the angular cross members 2 and 3, brace member 4, and projects through a bearing perforation in the upper inclosing-shell 5.

Serial No. 429,121.

A flange 1A, a removable sleeve 6 and a collar 7 are adapted to keep the various parts in operative position on the shaft 1. The collar 7 is provided with a set screw 8. The upper enclosing shell 5 is soldered to the curved ends of cross member 2. The electro-magnetic coils 9 and 10 are vertically disposed on cross member 2 and attached thereto by screws 11 and 12. The electromagnetic coils 13 and 14e are vertically disposed on cross member 3 and attached by screws l5 and 16; the last mentioned screws also serving to attach brace member 4 to cross member 3. Coil 1d is shown in cross-section, the winding of which is 14A and the core 14B. A commutator, comprising insulating block 17 and Contact members 18 and 19, is attached to cross member 2. Cross member 3 supports an insulating block 2O to which are attached commutator brushes 21 by screws 22; said commutator brushes lightly engaging said commutator contacts. Insulating blocks 17 and 2O are provided with holes for the passage of sleeve 6. The lower inclosing shell 23 is soldered to the curved ends of cross member 3. A spinning-tip 24 having a reduced threaded portion 24a, is attached to the lower inclosing-shell 23 by means of a nut 25, and is insulated therefrom by an insulating bushing 26. A flexible metal con-- tact brush 27 having a helical curve, is dis posed so as to partly encircle the spinning-tip 24 without contacting same, and is attached to the lower inclosing shell 23 by a screwheaded bolt 28 and nut 29, and is insulated from said inclosing shell by an insulating bushing 30. The spinning-tip 24 and contactbrush 27 are respectively electrically connected to a commutator brush and a coil, thus forming the two necessary collectors for supplying electricity to operate the device. The coils and commutator being connected in the conventional manner.

In the modification illustrated by Figure 3, the angular cross member 3 and brace member 4 are rigidly attached to a shaft 31, said shaft having a reduced upper portion 31A which passes through bearing perforations in cross member 2 and inclosing shell 5 and rotatively supports same. As in Figure 1, the

upper inclosing-shell 5 is soldered to the curved ends of cross member 2, but the lower enclosing-shell dilers from that shown in Figure 1 in that it has a partly projecting rim 32 soldered or otherwise rigidly attached to its inner surface, the projecting part of said rim frictionally engaging the inner surface of inclosing shell 5. A reduced lower portion 31B of shaft 31 projects through a bearing perforation in the lower inclosingshell 23 and acts as a spinning-tip on which the top spins. A lat annular contact member 33 encircles the projecting end of shaft 31A wit-hout contacting same and is attached to the upper inclosing-shell 5 by means of a headless bolt 34, which is soldered to its under surface, and a nut 35. The annular contact member 33 is insulated from the inclosingshell 5 by the insulating members 36. The inner projecting end of the bolt 34-is electrically connected to one of the upper coils and one of the commutator contact members is connected to the cross member 2 by means of a rivet 37 which extends through the insulating block 17, thus permitting the annular member 33 and the projecting end of shaft 31A to act as current collectors for sup'- plying the electricity which operates the device. The coils and other commutator connections being connected as illustrated.

It will be seen that this construction permits the shaft 31 and attached parts to rotate in one direction while it supports for rota.- tion in an opposite direction the two enclosing shells and attached parts.

An essential feature of the invention is the opposite rotation of the two electromagnetic parts and this can be attained by various modilications of the two tops illustrated and described.

The top illustrated in Figure 1 is supplied velectricity by means of a base of which Figure 7 is a top plan and Figure 8 a cross section. A block of insulation material 38 has flat square metal plates 39 set flush with its upper surface without contacting each other. The said metal plates are connected alternately to the two poles of a current supply as indicated by the plus and minus signs in Figure 7. The block 38 has an upwardly projecting rim 38A which keeps the top from spinning olf the base. The cross section Figure 8 shows a simple manner of wiring the base.

In operation the top spins on the charged surfaces of the metal plates 39, the brush 27 moving in a circular course about the spinning-tip and lightly contacting the surfaces of the metal plates adjacent the particular one the spinning-tip is on. As has been stated, the plates 39 are connected alternately to the two poles of a current supply, thus the action of the brush 27 permits an intermittent current low through the electrical devices, the inertia of the rapidly revolving top serving to carry the brush over the corners of the plates from which no current is obtained.

Figure 9 illustrates a modified form of the base just described. It comprises a block of non-conducting material 40 to which is attached a metal disk 41 by means of a headless bolt 42 which is soldered Vto the under surface of said disk, and a nut 43. rlhe upper surface of the disk 41 is slightly concave. The bolt 42 acts as a binding post and has a wire leading from one of the two poles of a current supply attached to it. A flat annular member 44 is disposed about the disk 41 without contacting same and is attached to the block 40 by a bolt 45 and a nut 46, saidbolt acting as a binding post to which is attached a wire leadinvr from the opposite pole of said current supp y.

When the top illustrated in Figure 1 is operated by means of the last mentioned base, the spinning-tip is supported by the disk 41, its slight concavity serving to keep said spinning-top on said disk. The contact brush 27 of the top, moves in a circular course about the disk 41, lightly contacting the surface of the annular member 44, thus completing the connections necessar for a continuous current flow through tie electrical devices of the top.

The modification of the top, illustrated by Figure 3, is supplied electric current by means of a wan d of which Figure 4 illustrates a preferred form. Itcomprises a. handle 48, of insulation material in which is encased parallel conductor rods 49 and 50; one end of theconductor-rod 49 projecting fromsaid handle and terminating in an inverted, cupshaped contact member, 49A. The other end of said rod having a threaded portion slightly projecting from said handle to which a nut 51 attaches a wire leading from one pole of a current supply. The conductor rod 5() projects from said handle and terminates in a downwardly projecting flexible contact member 50A. The other end of t-he last mentioned conductor rod having a threaded portion slightly projecting from said handle, to which a nut 52 attaches a wire leading from the opposite pole of said current supply.

In operation the top illustrated in Figure 3 is supplied electricity by means of the cupshaped contact member 49A and the flexible contact brush member 50A, of the wand. The projecting end of the shaft 31A of the top is held in the concavity of the cup-shaped member 49A by a slight downward pressure of the wand, and the flexible contact member 50A yieldingly engages the revolving annular member 33 of said top.

Since the electric current is supplied entirely by means of the wand, this modification of the top may be spun on any relatively smooth level surface.

It is obvious that the invention is susceptible to various changes and modications Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and I accordingly claim all such forms of the device to which I am entitled.

I claim:

l. An electrical top having in combination a shaft member, tvvo rotor members supported by said shaft member, electro-magnetic devices for causing opposite rotation of said rotor members, current collector members attached to one of said rotor members and adapted to supply current to said electromagnetic devices and means for supplying current to said collector members While said electrical top is in operation.

2. An electrical top having in combination two rotor members supported by a shaft member, electrical devices for causing opposite rotation of said rotor members, a spinning-tip and a current collector brush attached to one of said rotor members and adapted to supply current to said electrical devices and a base for providing a spinning surface for said electrical top comprised of a body member of non-conducting material, a plurality of metal contact members, insulated one from the other and rigidly attached to said body member and suitably connected to opposite poles of a current source; said contact members being adapted to supply current to said spinning-tip and said current collector brush While said electrical top is in operation.

3. A device of the class described, comprised of a shaft member, tWo cross members rotatively supported by said shaft member, a plurality of vertically disposed electromagnetic coils supported by each of said cross members, a commutator supported by one of said cross members, commutator brushes supported by the other of said cross members and operatively engaging said commutator, separate inclosing members disposed about and attached to said cross members, a spinningtip attached at the axis line to one of said inclosing members, a curved flexible metal contact brush attached to the last-mentioned inclosing member and so disposed as to partly encircle but not Contact said spinning-tip, the various aforementioned electrical devices including said spinning-tip and said Contact brush being suitably electrically connected and a means provided for supplying current to said spinning-tip and said contact brush While said device is in operation.

4. A device of the class described, having in combination tWo electromagnetic rotors adapted to rotate oppositely in adjacent horizontal planes on a vertical axial member and electrically connected by means of a commutator and commutator brush members, separate housings disposed about and attached to said rotors, a spinning-tip and a flexible metal contact brush attached to the 

